Bror

Did you see the fish in the feature picture? It is synonymous for the whole meal. We were going to be in for a lot of surprises at Bror. Definitely a challenging meal and not your usual “Schnitzel“. Even though we started the meal with something fried. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Please note that the post is written three months after the visit of Bror and done from memory. Any wrong identification of dishes is my fault and unintentional. I might not remember everything of what it was I was eating, but I still remember how I felt about it!

We had made reservations at Bror the week before our arrival and were lucky to get a table at 9pm. Quite late for dinner but we were on holidays after all. And in the end we wanted to try the famed Nordic cuisine.

We got a table on the lower level of the restaurant and almost immediately got our coats from the wardrobe again to fight the draft that was wafting through the restaurant.

dining room @Bror

After learning about the mystery of the Christmas beer we sticked with it as aperitif for our dinner. Wine would probably have worked better but we had started the evening with beer (and compared to everything else it was affordable) so we stayed with it. We opted for the Bror menu which would allow us to taste five different courses (there is no à la carte dining available).

We started with their signature of fried bull testicles and tartar sauce. Cat was lucky and didn’t understand what it was, so she raved about it immediately. Only after she had polished off everything did I tell her what she had eaten. It doesn’t really matter if you are not squeamish. They taste soft but with enough texture to chew. I loved it. The vegetarian option was puffed rice (or something like it) which was also good.

fried bull testicles @Bror

puffed rice @Bror

Next up was squid with gooseberries and the vegetarian course appears to be tomatoes with berries. I found it again to be tasty, a beautiful combination while Cat was unconvinced.

squid with gooseberries @Bror

vegetarian version of squid with gooseberries @Bror

The following course was a version of Carbonara, for us vegetables with a creamy sauce and cured ham while the vegetarian version came with zoodles (or something like it) and bread crumbs instead of ham.

vegetables Carbonara @Bror

vegetarian spaghetti “Carbonara” with zoodles @Bror

Then the real show stopper followed, steamed skinned fish (can’t say which type) with its fried skin served in the mouth. By then Cat was put off already since the fish had a huge eye and watched at her. Haha, I wanted to write winked, but for that it was already too late. The fish looked gross and you can see that for yourselves. But the meat was tender, perfectly cooked and with the condiments, two salts (horseradish and something else) and a dill sauce, excellently seasoned. There was a lot more to eat than just the cheek but Cat gave up after two bites while I took the plunge and ate everything that appeared edible. Okay, so I might have left out the eye.

The other course was a stuffed onion which was comparatively inconspicuous next to the excitement of the fish.

unidentified fish with fried skin @Bror

unidentified fish with different salts @Bror

stuffed onion @Bror

By now we already knew that eating at Bror was no easing feat. This is a restaurant that challenges you and your taste buds and nothing comes easy. Next up for Cat and me was a slow cooked egg yolk with chicken confit and a mushroom consommé for Susi. Not a real winner this course since the confit was too dry and had the look of meat left outside for too long. Confit to me means soft and tender and not super chewy. Can’t really say anything about the soup, so it must have been okay.

egg with chicken confit @Bror

mushroom consommé @Bror

Cat was ready to bolt so I was happy to see that the next course was duck breast with different versions of potatoes and caramelized onions (at least I think so). Another excellent course, great to look at and also tastewise a winner. Susi had the same without the meat.

roasted duck with creamy potatoes and berries @Bror

The final main course was again fish for us, this time grilled, with the cheeks served as a maki and fried kale. There was also something else underneath, probably cabbage (again I think so) while Susi got a big slice of roasted celery as her main dish. I found both dishes outstanding, loved the fried kale which was dry and crumbling. So, so lovely to eat. On the side was some roe (the rose-colored stuff) and something I can’t remember anymore. The celery was perfectly seasoned and had the right thickness. Susi was not so happy about it but then she had it as her main dish while I was just taking a bite.

roasted fish with fried kale @Bror

roasted celery @Bror

The only course of the meal I found awful was the next one. A creme brulee with bone marrow served in a bone for Cat and me. Susi meanwhile got the regular version without the marrow. How I wished I could have switched with her here. To be honest just the combination was already a turn off in my mind. When I then tried it I found the sugar crust perfectly snappy but the taste was just too much. It was cloyingly greasy and stuck to the roof of my mouth like forever. I took two bites because I really wanted to give it a chance but it didn’t work for me. Cat already hated the quince ice cream that came with it, so that was one forgettable course for both of us. I loved the ice cream though and the crunchy crumbs it was served on.

Crème brûlée with bone marrow @Bror

Crème brûlée with quince ice cream @Bror

Last but not least another ice cream course with a plum compote/sauce that tasted of winter and Christmas. It washed away all taste of the marrow and made me feel warm and hyggeligt.

ice cream with plum compote @Bror

Overall it was a real pleasure to eat “outside the box”. I found it is not an easy restaurant but one that tries to provoke you and your senses. To get you out of your comfort zone and try something new. Which we definitely did. It also showed me my limits on how far I am willing to go. The bone marrow just about ruined the meal for me. So I am happy to say that the last dish reconciled me again with Bror.

Service was excellent and each course was explained in detail. The restaurant itself is cold and drafty though (at least in the downstairs dining room) but maybe it was worse for our table because the other customers didn’t look like they were freezing. If you find yourself in Copenhagen, go and visit (opt for spring). Reservations are necessary. Yours, Pollybert

Bror
Sankt Peders Stræde 24A, 1453 Copenhagen
Email: contact@restaurantbror.dk
Tel: +45 32 17 59 99
Wed-Sun: 17:30 -24:00 (last seating 21:30)
https://www.restaurantbror.dk/en/